


Worm Charming

by the_last_dillards



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Crack, Multi, Season 1, Unjoined Dax, trill symbionts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25876303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_last_dillards/pseuds/the_last_dillards
Summary: An infatuated Julian desperately tries to convince Dax to go out with him.
Relationships: One-sided Julian Bashir/Dax
Comments: 16
Kudos: 27





	Worm Charming

**Author's Note:**

> Worm Charming refers to the practice of attracting earthworms out of the ground, usually done through creating vibrations. Much of the dialogue in the first half of this is taken from a couple early Season 1 convos between Julian and Jadzia. Not beta’d.

Julian sagged against a table in Quark’s, looking absolutely torn apart as he gave Dax his best puppy dog eyes. “But Dax, I’m in love with you!”

“I'm sure you're exaggerating.”

He shook his head vehemently. “You are constantly in my thoughts. I can't even concentrate.”

“You seemed to be concentrating just fine on the visiting Horta ambassador last week.”

That was unfair. How was he supposed to be celibate while waiting for Dax to come around when there were so many interesting and exotic visitors to the station? 

He swiped his hand as if brushing it away. “A poor substitute for you.”

“Julian, you’re a wonderful friend. You know I enjoy the time we spend together.”

He clutched dramatically at his chest and begged, “ _Stop._ You're driving a stake through my heart.”

“Try a high-pitched sonic shower. It'll make you feel better.”

“No, it won't. I've already tried it.” He _had._ Several times.

“You need to understand that Trills don’t go looking for romances in the same way humans do.”

“Maybe if we just tried a few dates, you’d change your mind. Just give me a chance,” he whined.

“I don’t think so, Julian.”

“But Dax, you’re all I think about!” 

He held up a hand to stop any interruptions. “I _know_ for a fact that I’m in love with you. The way your mind works! The beautiful sheen of your dermis! How you wriggle your body about when you’re close to figuring out the answer to some scientific phenomenon! All your cute little feelers...”

Dax swished about in xir container in what Julian had come to associate with a bemused manner. 

It had been love at first sight.

Julian had never met a Trill of any sort before Dax: symbiont, host, or joined. But when he’d boarded the shuttle to Deep Space Nine and saw xir, there had been no contest.

Dax was perfect in every way. Intelligent. Wise. Worldly. Adventurous. Charming. Gorgeous. Bold. Unafraid to stand out.

He’d been absolutely awestruck. 

Most symbionts chose to be joined with a host. They wanted the skills, the memories, the experiences, the personality traits. Those that didn’t want to be joined usually stayed back in the pools on Trill.

But Dax, Dax was different.

Xe’d been joined before, yes. But after half a dozen lives lived through the eyes of others, xe was ready to try it on alone for once. So that was what xe’d done. 

And now here xe was, choosing to sit with Julian of all people at a table in Quark’s Bar.

Well, sitting was perhaps inaccurate.

Dax was in xir travel jar, a glass sided vessel filled with a couple liters of fluid that could be capped or uncapped for easy travel around the station through the pneumatic tubes that had been installed throughout the walls.

This particular jar had been a gift from the station commander as Julian understood it. It had _Party Worm_ bedazzled across the bottom rim. 

Despite the overall simplistic look of the container, Julian knew there to be a computer interface installed. Dax interacted with it through small electric shocks just as xe would with other symbionts, and could send messages or make queries or commands just as anyone else. There was also a sound system that could translate shocks for Dax to speak through.

Today, Dax had chosen a woman’s voice to communicate with.

Xir voice was gentle as xe tried to let him down. “You’re very flattering but the answer’s still no.”

“Not even supper, just once?”

“We’re having supper right now,” Dax pointed out.

“No, this is tea.”

“Julian,” xe warned.

Just then Quark waltzed over, a tray in hand. “Doctor, your chicken tenders and martini. And don’t worry, I made sure Rom shook it this time. Not stirred. And Dax, your protein mix, gagh flavored.” 

He set Julian’s plate and drink down in front of him before picking up a tall glass filled with dark, chunky slush and gagh worms and dumped it into Dax’s container before leaving.

Julian watched with appreciative longing as xe opened xir mouth, revealing several rows of sharp teeth, before making several aggressive dives to catch protein mush and the smaller worms.

He took a bite of chicken tender to try to distract himself. The breading around it was oily and the inside was too dry. He should’ve thought to ask for ketchup. Instead, Julian compensated by dipping it into his drink before each bite.

Once Dax had nearly cleared the water, Julian readied himself to say something that had been weighing on his mind. The anxiety buzzed around him at the answer he might receive. “Tell me honestly, Dax. Is it because I’m...humanoid?”

Dax didn’t need to pause xir meal to answer. “No, Julian, it’s not because you’re humanoid.”

“You’re sure? Because know that can be off putting for some people and really, I understand—”

“Julian, I’ve dated humanoids before. It’s not that.”

“Oh,” Julian sagged into his chair as some of the tension left him. “Okay, good. What is it then?”

“Don’t you think our age difference is a bit much?” Dax caught a particularly large gagh worm that struggled ferociously until xe ground it into several pieces.

Julian furrowed his brow. “No, not really.”

“Julian, I’m over three hundred and fifty years old. I was born before your people had warp.” 

“So?” 

That Horta ambassador had been just shy of forty-seven thousand years and they’d gotten on just fine. 

“It’s just that I think it might cause some issues for us. We’re in different stages of our lives and frankly, you’re still very young.”

Julian was affronted. “I’m twenty-seven years old! I’d hardly call that young!”

“It is when you’re over ten times that age.”

That was hogwash. Julian had heard from Dax xirself that xe’d had gone out with Captain Boday, and the Gallamite was only thirty-nine. Dax was nine times his age. 

Julian pushed his arms out across the table and slumped with a huff, burying his face. “Isn’t there anything I can do to prove myself to you? To win you over?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Julian moaned pathetically. He could feel Dax watching the piteous display.

“What’s going on over there?”

“What?” Julian sat back up, looking around.

“A level down. That Cardassian is paying awfully close attention to the visiting Andorian delegation.”

“Cardassian?” Julian leaned to peer over the railing next to them, eyes tracking about until they found a grey figure leaning just on the other side of a pillar from a group of Andorians.

He gasped, “It's Garak, the spy!”

“I think I saw him take something out of his sleeve.” Dax’s feelers shook to display agitation.

Julian was already standing up, leaving his meal on the table. “He must be up to something. Someone ought to keep an eye on him to find out what he’s planning.”

“Good idea.”

“Sorry to cut this short, Dax.”

Dax watched him leave, xir container taking in the room’s electrical signatures and returning them to the Trill for xir equivalent to ‘sight’. Soon enough Julian had reached the Cardassian and then was being led away to a corner table with a hand low on his back. 

Good.

With any luck, those two would finally manage a fling and Julian would be off xir back for a month or two.

Dax caught xir last worm and turned on the flashing disco lights along the top rim of xir jar to get a waiter’s attention. Xe was feeling up to dessert.

**Author's Note:**

> [Based on a post I made on tumblr.](https://the-last-dillards.tumblr.com/post/622667598668185600/recently-read-a-fic-where-ezri-accuses-julian-of)
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and conversation are loved!


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